Collating rack



Feb. 13, 1962 OSTWALD 3,021,133

COLLATING RACK Filed Jan. 13, 1960 NNNNNN on: ROBERT E.OSTWALD B ATT Y.

Unimdi rates i atenr 3,021,133 CGLLATHNG RACK Robert E. Ostwald, 112Ramhlewood Ave, Staten Island, N.Y. Filed Jan. 13, 1960, Ser. No. 2,2881 Claim. (Cl. 270-58) This invention relates to a collating device andmore particularly to an improved rack useful in the manual sorting andcollating of stacks of paper sheets.

While there is a variety of mechanical collating devices whereby aplurality of sheets may be delivered from individual stacks to a sortingzone so that the sheets from each of the various stacks are positionedin any desired order, these devices are cumbersome, expensive, and notjustified in an operation where it is only necessary to collate twostacks of sheets.

The present device represents an extremely efficient and expeditious aidin collating sheets from two stacks manually. The operator needs onlyone hand to manipulate the sheets from each stack, thus leaving theother hand free to place the pairs of sheets in any desired posh tion,such as a third stack. This device so increases the speed of manualcollation that with very little outlay for equipment, the speed of amechanical collating machine can be equalled or surpassed.

A primary object of the invention, theref re, is to provide a unitarysupport and guide for two stacks of paper sheets and an intermediatetapering element which assists in separating individual sheets from thestack and permits the top sheet from each stack to be drawn upwardly andinto face to face contact.

A further object of the invention is to provide a universal collatingguide having an outwardly tapered base element for supporting two stacksof paper sheets and an integral upwardly extending tapered separator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sheet collating guidehaving a pair of spaced, tapered sheet guides connected to a base memberfor biasing the edge of a stack of sheets on each side of the guidemembers.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and drawings inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective showing my improved collating guide, and

FIGURE 2 is an end View of the structure of FIGURE 1 showing the mannerin which the guide is manipulated.

The invention comprises essentially a base member having two outwardlytapered flanges or legs formed integrally with an elevated centralportion tapering upwardly and having a lateral notch adjacent the midpoint thereof. Desirably the base member may be provided with steps nearthe junction between the flanges and the vertical member to assist inseparating the sheets from the stacks.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, my improved collatingguide comprises a base element 5, having two laterally extending flanges6 and 7 which slope or taper outwardly towards their edges. The base isformed integrally with two tapered guide elements 8 and 9 so that in endelevation guides '8 and 9 have triangular configurations which arearcuate at their apexes 10, 10. A notch 11 separates the two elements 8and 9 adjacent the mid portion of the base 5 for a purpose to bedescribed more fully hereinafter. If desired, a step 12 is formed oneach side of elements 8 and a between the bottom of the elements andflanges 7. A similar step 13 is formed on the opposite side of elements8 and 9.

In operation, a stack 15 of paper sheets is placed on foot 7 and on step12 so that one edge of the stack fits snugly against the tapered lateralfaces of elements 8 and 9. A second stack 16 of sheets is similarlypositioned lQQ on foot 6 so that the lateral edge of each stack iscurved upwardly and so the edge of the stack is displaced from thevertical as seen clearly in FIGURE 2. The operator exerts a slightdownward pressure on the edge of each stack as seen in FIGURE 2 by meansof thumb and either forefinger or middle finger. Suitable rubber stalls17 and 18 may be used by the operator if desired. With an upwardcontracting motion of the operators fingers, the top sheet 19 and 20from each stack is separated therefrom and simultaneously lifted in faceto face relation as shown clearly in FlGURE 2 so that one sheet of eachstack is quickly positioned against each other.

The steps 12 and 13 are of particular importance in creating an areainto which the stack may be depressed to facilitate the separation ofthe top sheet only from each stack. The notch 11 is also important inthat it permits fast and accurate collation by using the thumb andmiddle finger if it is difiicult for a small handed operator to span thedistance between the stacks. Furthermore, as the stacks become nearlyexhausted, it is simple to stretch the fingers through the gap 11 ratherthan over the top of one of the elements 8 or 9.

The construction of my improved separator is universal insofar as thesize of the sheets in each stack is concerned. The ability to quicklycollate sheets of paper or folded material for insertion into envelopesis outstanding. The device is particularly adapted to the combining oforiginal written material and copy paper in photo copy and whiteprinting processes. Light, sensitive copy paper is placed face down onone side of the separator and the original copy face up on the oppositeside. The operator can in one motion combine the original and the copypaper by picking them up together and in this position they are readyfor use in the copying machine.

The invention is extremely simple, eflicient and inexpensive. It may becast, molded or formed out of a piece of any material. Where arelatively light substance is used, such as wood or a synthetic plastic,it is desirable to securely fasten the base to a solid object such as atable or a bench. If it is important that the device be portable, it maybe cast out of a metal such as solid aluminum or brass. In this waythere will be no tendency for the guide to be displaced on a table andthus destroy the connection between the edges of the stack and theguiding memebrs 8 and 9.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A collating rack comprising a horizontally disposed base member having aplanar surface tapering gradually upwardly from each opposite side edgethereof in the direction of one another, with each planar surfaceadapted to receive a stack of sheets in flat relation thereon, avertically disposed Web portion centrally positioned on said base, theopposed side surfaces of said web portion tapering downwardly andoutwardly in the direction of the respective inclined planar surfaces ofsaid base and adapted to receive the end edges of the respective stackedsheets placed thereagainst, a step portion uniting each inclined planarsurface of said base member to the respective tapered surface of saidweb portion, each of said step portions raising the end of said stack ofsheets adjacent each of the tapered surfaces of said web portion fromsaid planar surfaces, and a notch portion centrally disposed in andextending laterally through said Web portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 90,482Barth May 25, 1869 2,273,252 Cummins Feb. 17, 1942 2,809,031 AlexanderOct. 8, 1957

